Archive for the ‘Zhangjiajie Travel’ Category

Are you are going to have a Zhangjiajie Tour? Zhangjiajie City is located on the northwest of Hunan Province. The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a famous tourist spot in China, is a unique national forest park located in Zhangjiajie City.

When planning a trip to Zhangjiajie, one of the often asked questions likely to torment you is “When is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie?” Generally speaking, the scenery of Zhangjiajie varies from season to season.

Good Time to Visit Zhangjiajie
Generally April through Mid-November is a good time to visit Zhangjiajie. April and October are the two best months to visit Zhangjiajie.

Best Time for Fall Foliage in Zhangjiajie
The best time to view the red leaves and fall foliage in Zhangjiajie ranges from later October to Mid-November.

So you are expected to enjoy different scenery in different seasons. Check out below to have some information on each season:

Zhangjiajie in Spring (March to May)
The weather in spring of Zhangjiajie is pleasant. In spring, all the flowers on mountains blossom and mountains are luxuriantly green. The voices of kingfishers accompanied with the tinges of mountain make you feel relaxed.

The average temperature in Zhangjiajie in March ranges between 5℃ and 15℃. So it is still a bit chilly. You still need to wear a sweater and a warm jacket.

The average temperature in Zhangjiajie in April ranges between 14℃ and 20℃. So it is getting warmer. You may wear a long-sleeve shirt during the day and a thin jacket in the evening.

The average temperature in Zhangjiajie in May ranges between 16℃ and 26℃. So it is getting much warmer. You may wear a T-shirt during the day and a thin jacket in the evening.

Temperature on mountains (above 1200 meters) will be about 3-5℃ lower than the mountain foot areas. Tourists should take a warm coat along when climbing mountains.

Zhangjiajie in Spring

Zhangjiajie in Summer ( June to August )
In summer, the temperature in Zhuangjiajie is comfortable. It is an ideal summer resort for you. It usually rains in June and July, but Zhangjiajie is more beautiful after rain and you can enjoy the cloud and fog spectacle in Tianmen Mountain, West Sea and other parts of Wulingyuan.

The average temperature in Zhangjiajie in June ranges between 18℃ and 30℃. So it is getting hotter. You may wear a T-shirt during the day and a long-sleeve shirt in the evening. The average temperature in Zhangjiajie in July ranges between 26℃ and 36℃.

So it is the hottest month in Zhangjiajie. You may wear a T-shirt for the day.T he average temperature in Zhangjiajie in August ranges between 24℃ and 34℃. So it is still very hot in August. You may wear a T-shirt for the day and a long-sleeve shirt in the evening.

Temperature on mountains (above 1200 meters) will be about 3-5℃ lower than the mountain foot areas. Tourists should take a warm coat along when climbing mountains.

Zhangjiajie in Summer

Zhangjiajie in Autumn (September to Early November)
Most people think October in autumn are one of the best months to go traveling in Zhangjiajie. At that time, you can enjoy the most beautiful natural sites of Zhangjiajie. Visitors can have a drift in the splendid season.

There will be many visitors during the National Day between Oct. 1st to Oct. 7th every year.

If you go to Zhangjiajie in this time, you’d better reserve a room in advance, or Just avoid going to Zhangjiajie during China National Holiday.

Temperature on mountains (above 1200 meters) will be about 3-5℃ lower than the mountain foot areas. Tourists should take a coat along when climbing mountains.

Best Time for Fall Foliage in Zhangjiajie
The best time to view the red leaves and fall foliage in Zhangjiajie ranges from later October to Mid-November.

Zhangjiajie in Winter ( Later November to February )
Winter in Zhangjiajie is not cold with the average temperature of 13℃. In winter, if you are fortunate enough to come across the snow, you will see the different beauty of Zhangjiajie.

All the mountains, trees, roads are covered by snow, and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park turns into a pure white world. The far away mountains bring you a feeling of mystery.

Zhangjiajie in Winter

Tip : Hassle-free Zhangjiajie Guided ToursIf you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Zhangjiajie:

We’d like to have the following travel guide to be always updated for the benefit of new visitors coming to Zhangjiajie from Beijing and other places. Anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, or having any questions, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!
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Plan your Zhangjiajie Tour? About 1,500 km southeast of Beijing, Zhangjiajie is a rising star with its picturesque and unique sandstone formations, empowered by the American film – Avatar, has attracted a consistent flow of tourists each year ever since.

If you’re already in Beijing, you may wonder how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie? By train or Flight? We are here ready to present you the multiple choices which you may use to match your specific travel request.

Before getting to know how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie, we’d like to remind you the fact that basically Zhangjiajie has two meanings – 1. Zhangjaijie City proper 2. Zhangjiajie Scenic Area.

Now the newly added artificial thriller – Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge is situated 50km east of the core of Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. It spans 430 meters over a 300-meter-deep valley between two cliffs of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.

Zhangjiajie City ( Tianmen Mountain )
Named after the world-famous Zhangjiajie Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie City proper also boasts its own drawcard – Tianmen Mountain.

Its Cableway （just close to Zhangjiajie Railwaty Station) is claimed as one of the “longest passenger cableway of high mountains in the world”, with a total length of 7,455 meters and ascent of 1,279 meters. A 100-meter-long Glass Skywalk clings around a cliff on Tianmen Mountain, attracting lots of tourists who are looking for adventures.

So talking about how to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie, we actually have to answer two questions – How to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie City proper and then how to get from Zhangjiajie City proper to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area ( Wulinyuan and Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge). They are roughly 30 km apart.

Now let’s first about the first question – How to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie City proper?

How to get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie City proper ( Tianmen Mountain)

1. Get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie directly by Train
There are 2 or 3 daily overnight trains leaving from Beijing Railway Station and arriving at Zhangjiajie Railway Station ( downtown), 23 – 26 hours ( Soft sleeper about 600 yuan; hard sleeper about 400 yuan).

If time allows, plus you are able to grab a ticket, it is an interesting experience to travel by train. The cable car station for Tianmen Mountain and Glass Skywalk is just a breeze from the train station.

Glass Bridge at Tianmen Mountain

2. Get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie directly by Flight
There are also 2 or 3 daily flights taking off from Beijing Capital International Airport to Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport, about 5 km west of the city core. Basically like the overnight trains from Beijing to Zhangjiajie, the direct flight tickets are hard to get especially in tourist high season.

High demand makes little space for ticket discounts. Unless you are pressed for time, direct flight is not a good choice due to the exorbitant prices.

3. Get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie via Changsha by Train
The over 10 daily high-speed trains from Beijing West Railway Station to Changsha South Railway Station whisk you from Beijing to Changsha in 4 or 5 hours.

Then you need to change for the local long-distance bus bringing you to your destination – Zhangjiajie since there is no railway line between the two cities. The bus takes about 5 hours ( approx. 90 yuan).

The tickets for the Highspeed train from Beijing West Station to Changsha South Station:
Second Class: 649 yuan
First Class: 1038 yuan
Business Class: 2050 yuan

4. Get from Beijing to Zhangjiajie via Changsha by flight
Numerous daily flights take you from Beijing to Changsha usually at a very competitive price. Changsha is the capital city of Hunan Province, a perfect jump-off springboard for travelers will come to Zhangjiajie. Actually Changsha itself is worth your exploring for 1 or 2 days.

Changsha is well known for its sights related to Mao Zedong Mao ( Dec 26, 1893 – Sept 9, 1976), a Chinese Communist revolutionary and the founding father of the People’s Republic of China. At Zhangjiajie Airport, you either choose to transit and fly for Zhangjiajie or connect a local long-distance bus for Zhangjiajie.

How to get from Zhangjiajie City proper to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area ( Wulinyuan and Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge)

No matter you arrive at Zhangjiajie City proper by flight or train, directly from Beijing or via Changsha, the best way to go from Zhangjiajie City to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area (Wulingyuan or Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge ) is to take a local bus.

Glass Bottom Bridge

The bus station is known as Zhangjiajie Central Passenger Bus Station, just on the left side of the square in front of Zhangjiajie Railway Station. So if you arrive at Zhangjiajie by train or bus, you can easily walk to the bus station bound for Zhangjiajie Scenic Area: 20 yuan and 50 minutes.

If you are going to experience Glass Bottom Bridge, you need to hop on another bus at Zhangjiajie Scenic Area and leave for Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon: 15 yuan and 40 minutes.

There is no direct bus line connecting Zhangjiajie Airport and Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Instead, you should take a cab or bus going from Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport to Zhangjiajie Central Passenger Station and then get on a bus for Zhangjiajie Scenic Area and Glass Bottom Bridge.

Tip: Hassle-free Zhangjiajie Guided ToursIf you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Zhangjiajie:

Plan your Zhangjiajie Tour? Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie was listed with UNESCO World Heritage 1992. This world heritage site is popularly known as “Zhangjiajie Senic Area” rather than “Wulingyuan” mainly because Wulingyuan Scenic Area is under the administration of Zhangjiajie City.

The Wulingyuan Scenic Area consists of four parts: Zhangjiajie National Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve and Yangjiajie Scenic Area, covering a total area of 350 square kilometers.

We list the top 10 attractions in Zhangjiajie, which may be of some use for preparing your 2-3 day trip to Zhangjiajie. If you want to know the best time to visit Zhangjiejie, please see my post -” The Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie” for more information.

No. 01: Zhangjiajie National Forest ParkZhangjiajie National Forest Park is the first national forest park in China, which was recognized in year 1982. It is a unique national forest park as one of the component of Wulingyuan Natural Resort.

Here are more than 3000 surprising pillar-like formations pulling out from earth and seen throughout the park. The peaks are in varied shapes, some looks lie a human, some looks like objects and some are in the shape of animals, etc.

Vivid formations can be found everywhere of this national forest park. People there usually can not help to show their acclaim as the peak of perfection.

Entrance Fee: Part of CNY 248 through ticket for Wulingyuan (Zhangjiajie)
Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Special Tourist Buses from the downtown area of Zhangjiajie to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

No. 02: Tianzi Mountain Nature ReserveBounded by Suoxi Valley on the east ,Zhangjiajie on the south, Sangzhi County on the north, Tianzi Mountain is one of the four scenic zones in Wulingyuan.

Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve lies on the highest point of “Golden Triangle”, its highest point being 1262.5m (Kunlun peak) and lowest point being 534m (Shilan valley).

It has an area of 67 square kilometers. The landscape in Tianzi Mountain is natural and primeval. People who have climbed Tianzi Mountain will not climb any other mountains.Entrance Fee: Part of CNY 248 through ticket for Wulingyuan (Zhangjiajie).

Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
How to get there: Take a minibus from the downtown area to Tianzi Mountain. The minibus to Tianzi Mountain sets off every 30 minutes.

Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve

No. 03: Yangjiajie Nature ReserveYangjiajie is a newly found dainty nature reserve after Zhangjiajie, Suoxi Valley and Tianzi Mountain which is located in the northwestern part of Zhangjia, adjacent to Mountain Tianzi in north.It has absorbed more and more tourist from domestic and other countries.

Many famous tourist sites of Yangjiajie are Wusehua (flower in five colors), Vine King, Shuyaoshi (three trees grown on cliff), and so on. There is a famed village in Yangjiajie-Oolong Village. Entering this village, you need to pass through three breath taking “gates of hell”. Tourists to this village in an endless stream.

Entrance Fee: Part of the CNY 248 through ticket for Zhangjiajie
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Tourist Buses from the downtown area of Zhangjiajie City to Yangjiajie Nature Reserve

Yangjiajie Nature Reserve

No. 04: Suoxi ValleySuoxi Valley is located in Zhangjiajie which is in Northeastern Hunan province of China. The meaning of the name is: ‘fog laden village’ in the dialect of the local Tujia people.Suoyi Valley Nature Reserve is connected to Zhangjiajie in southwest and abutted to Tianzi Mountain in northwest contains tourist sites of over 200.

Opening Hours: 07:00-18:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 7 or 9 from downtown area to Suoxi Valley; or rent a car to get there

Suoxi Valley

No. 05: Baofeng LakeEmbraced by continuous mountains, the artificial Baofeng Lake is located in the Suoxiyu Scenic Area in the south of Suoxiyu Town of Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province.

Originally known as Shijiayu Reservoir, the Baofeng Lake was later named after Baofeng Mountain and opened to tourists.

The Baofeng Lake covers an area of 30 hectares and has a depth of 72 meters. Lying in mountains, the Baofeng Lake is filled by streams without pollution. The lake has a fascinating landscape with surrounding mountains and a mid-lake island.

Entrance Fee: CNY 90
Opening Hours: 06:30-18:30
How to get there: take the minibus from Zhangjiajie Long-distance Bus Station to Wulingyuan Town, then take a motor tricycle to Baofeng Lake

Baofeng Lake

No. 06: Yellow Dragon CaveYellow Dragon Cave was discovered by local villagers in 1983 in Zhangjiajie and opened to tourists in 1984. Some tourists thought of the cave as the most beautiful in China.

Yellow Dragon Cave is a very large limestone cave, occupying an area of 100,000 square meters. The length of the cave is 7.6 kilometers and the height is 140 meters. It is composed of two drought stores and two wet stores, two underground rivers, four waterfalls, 13 caverns and 10,000 stalagmites and stalactites.

Entrance Fee: CNY 80
Opening Hours: 08:00-16:00
How to get there: take the minibus from Zhangjiajie Long-distance Bus Station to Wulingyuan Town, then take a motor tricycle to Yellow Dragon Cave

Yellow Dragon Cave

No. 07: YuanjiajieLocated in the northwest part of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yuanjiajie is a naturally formed platform mountain, surrounded by higher summits which are divided by deep valleys. Added to this scene is an array of amazing lesser peaks and grotesque rocks.

Each one stands in the valley and possesses its own peculiar shape. The foremost attractions in this area include: Back Garden, breathtaking Mihun Stage, and the First Bridge under the Sun.Yuanjiajie lies between Huangshi Village (yellow stone stronghold) and Tianzi Mountain(emperor mountain). From Zhangjiajie National Forest Park there are approaches to the place.

Entrance Fee: Part of the through ticketOpening Hours: 07:00-18:00

How to get there: take Buses No. 7 or 9 from downtown area to Suoxi Valley; or rent a car to get there

Yuanjiajie

No. 08: Ten Mile Natural GalleryZhangjiajie Ten-mile Natural Gallery is situated in to the northwest of Suoxigu Natural Reserve, and at the foot of Tianzi Mountain. This natural Chinese painting is about 5.8 kilometers in length.

This scenic area is part of Wulingyuan Scenic Area.

With a stream flowing through, and the peaks on both sides of the valley shape, it forms natural sculptures. The Herb Collecting Old Man and Immortals Worshipping Guanyin are the most spectacular.Entrance Fee: Part of the through ticket for Wulinyuan

Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00

Ten Mile Natural Gallery

No. 09: Tianmen Mountain National ParkThe Tianmen Mountain National Park is a newly developed attraction which is located only 8 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie in northwestern Hunan.

Tianmen Mountain boasts a primitive forest, numerous rare tree species, medicinal herbs and an abundance of fauna. One of the main attractions of Tianmen Mountain is the Tianmen Cave. It is a natural water-eroded cave with the highest elevation in the world.

It is actually a big hole in the mountain but people call it a cave and it has become a major attraction. Many rock climbers enjoy climbing the cave walls.

Walk across a 100-meter-long Glass Skywalk clinging around a cliff on Tianmen Mountain, which attracts a consistent flow of tourists every year.It is a great experience to walk along the glass plank trail, wearing sock booties and feeling you are walking on thin air.

Glass Walkway

Entrance Fee: CNY 258
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Tourist Buses from the downtown area of Zhangjiajie to Tianmen Mountain.

Opening Hours: the whole day

How to get there: There are minibuses at Jishou Station to Phoenix Town from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

10. Zhangjiajie Glass Bottom Bridge
50 km East of Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is a newly developed tourist destination. It features deep cliffs, limpid streams, amazing caves and mirror-like lakes.It is also an landform museum where you can see all kinds of rock formations, different layers of vegetation, flora and fauna particular in Zhangjiajie.